A wide variety of zwitterionic compounds are known in the literature and are generally disclosed as being useful as detergents. Of course, the compounds of the present invention are also useful as detergents, but they are notable among the alkyl zwitterionics by virtue of their anti-ulcer activity.
Various alkyl zwitterionic compounds are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,677, issued Mar. 14, 1972, to Peter Morris.
A variety of zwitterionic compounds are also disclosed in British Patent specification No. 1,355,005, Bryan Anthony Brown, filed Feb. 9, 1972.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,697,659, issued Dec. 21, 1974, to Stayner and Stayner, discloses a variety of alkaryl zwitterionics.
Netherlands Pat. No. 7301766, bearing the terinzagelegging date Aug. 13, 1973, discloses means for manufacturing an extremely wide variety of alkyl and alkaryl zwitterionic compounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,544,501, issued Dec. 1, 1970, teaches the use of various zwitterionic compounds for coating fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,199,397, issued May 7, 1940, teaches various "pentavalent" nitrogen compounds which are said to be useful surface-active materials.
Phosphonio carboxylate zwitterionic compounds are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,024, issued Mar. 31, 1970.
Substituted betaine compounds are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,082,275, issued June 1, 1937.
Liquid detergent compositions containing ampholytic betaine-type detergents are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,662, issued Oct. 14, 1975.
German DT No. 2,000,028 describes the use of various zwitterionic nitrogen compounds in the production of fibrillated pulp sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,341 teaches means for increasing blood oxygen levels (previously decreased by lung disease) by administering a carboxy zwitterionic compound.
Apart from the general literature relating to zwitterionic compounds per se, various long-chain materials have been suggested for use in the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers: J5-2025-706 and J5-2025-711. These two Japanese patents relate, respectively, to polyunsaturated long-chain alcohols and polyunsaturated esters of long-chain alcohols.
The interaction of zwitterionic alkyl betaine surfactants with biological membranes has been studied by Allen, et al., FEBS LETTERS, September 1975, 158. The authors conclude that the zwitterionics tested, at low concentrations and under mild conditions, can induce a high degree of membrane dissociation together with considerable preservation of enzymic activity.
Lore and Luciana, Physiology and Behavior 18, 745-45 (1977) have observed that stress phenomena cause ulcers in rats in a laboratory test situation and propose physiologic mechanisms to explain this observation.